Horace Greely and the Popular Press
Romanticism
Biography
Horace Greely was an American innovator, and changed the general public's relation to the press. His way of selling newspapers for low prices allowed more access to the news by Americans that were not in the upper class. These papers were funded by advertising instead of the subscriptions of the news paper purchasers. He founded New York Tribune in 1841, and the readership and influence the paper had was unprecedented in news papers. He used his influence by covering the liberal policies of the day, such as temperance, women's' rights, and the abolition of slavery. Healso published news about socialism, even employing Karl Marx as a contributor for a brief time. Horace Greely brought news and opinions to an audience that was never before included in the national conversation that was the press. His innovations helped educate an audience and enhance the lives of the common man
New York Tribune
One of the crowning achievement of Greely's career, the New York Tribune epitomized the concept of the penny press. It was in part by advertising, which allowed Greely to sell the paper for much less, which in turn encouraged a much wider readership than the other newspapers of the day. It tackled issues cutting edge issues from abolitionism to vegetarianism, and in many ways set the precedent for the news we enjoy today.
Happy 200th Birthday, Horace Greeley!